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[aveis-the-red]

Ser Aymeric, the Discord bot, was designed to be spyware.

Some background, for those who aren’t familiar with the situation:

Lethys is the creator of a popular FFXIV-centric Discord bot called Ser Aymeric. It’s admittedly a very useful bot, and is popular because of it’s feature-set.

Lethys is well known in the community as a serial predator of gay men.

Lethys is obsessed with harassing individuals he sees as his enemies.

Lethys has leveraged the popularity of his bot to secretly surveil individuals he has grudges with in the past.

I worked on Ser Aymeric directly and had access to the code. All of my information is first hand knowledge. Lethys brought me on to work on Aymeric’s dashboard administration interface.

I was asked to hold off releasing this information until after Discord did an investigation. I am uncertain whatever came of that investigation, so either it never happened, or Discord doesn’t understand the ramifications of this situation.

Lethys has two spying capabilities built into Ser Aymeric:

The first was built in Version 1 of the bot, specifically to spy on Lethys’ rival Lux and his XIV Male Mods Discord server. It’s known as the ‘secret h’ function (command ?h), and was able to dump the last 1000 lines of chat from any channel Aymeric is present in. He specifically built it to spy on XIV Male Mods’ private admin channel to see what they were saying. He was obsessed with them as a rival server to Lethys’ Gayorzea community. This function could have been used to export the text of any channel on any server that Ser Aymeric was present in, but XIV Male Mods was the only one I’m aware of it being used against.

For Version 2, much of the bot was rewritten, but rather than making things better, he grew the spyware capabilities.

It was during the V2 rewrite that Lethys brought me on to work on the administrative back-end for the rewrite, which is why I had access to the code. Despite his claims in the past, I was listed as a developer on the credits and homepage ever so briefly.

Version 2 logs every message by every user in every channel that Ser Aymeric has read permissions to. It stores them in a MongoDB (a type of database software) collection called ‘messages’. These records (referred to as JSON objects) represent all message sent, across all the servers Aymeric is present in. They are plain text, unencrypted and personally identifiable. Lethys could query them on a per-server, per-channel or per-user level.

In his privacy policy he claims this logging is for the ‘quotes’ feature, but it goes far beyond that. This is all messages, whether or not someone has invoked a quote command or not. Everything.

This is a look into the live production database Ser Aymeric is running off of, using MongoDB. You’ll notice a 'messages’ collection containing a large number of objects.

An example of one of the objects inside the 'messages’ collection. This represents a message someone shared. Every single message that is shared in a channel that Ser Aymeric has read access to is logged and stored, regardless of if they have been quoted, deleted, or whatever the case may be. Everything. In spite of what the author claims or states in their privacy policy.

Here is another example. This shows how easy it is to query down to a specific user, channel or server level. In this case it’s my own Discord ID. This was posted in a private administrative channel that although Aymeric had read access to, had no reason to be logging whatsoever.

Here is a live shot of that same message, inside a closed admin channel. The message ID is 617875866122190859, channel ID is 480809457056743424, server ID is 179321234046058497 and author ID is, again my own, 62310340079128576. This mirrors exactly what is in the live database on Ser Aymeric.

So, the long and short of it is, a known sexual predator with a history of harassing his victims and those he has grudges against has a wildly popular Discord bot which enables him to see what anyone is saying without their knowledge on any server, to be aware of what servers they are present in, what channels they have permissions to, and more.

Let the scale of that sink in. At the time of this writing it’s on 18,372 servers, and monitoring 1,210,120 users who are completely unaware. It’s gobbling up every message across every Discord server it’s present in, collecting private information without people’s consent or knowledge, readable by him, and no way to delete it. It is not even remotely GDPR compliant, in spite of Lethys’ being a citizen of the United Kingdom. It’s a gross invasion of privacy.

Every server that has Ser Aymeric present in it is unwittingly enabling Lethys to continue to spy and harass his victims. Do not use this bot. Do not trust Lethys with you or your friends information. You will learn, as I did, that he is not someone you should put your trust in.

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Some have claimed it would be impossible to process every single message that Aymeric has access to. That’s simply not true. Aymeric, like all bots, *has* to process every message in a channel it has read access to. How else do you think it would know you used one of it’s commands?

As far as storing those messages, Lethys recently updated his privacy policy to admit that yes, he does really do that. The reason the database doesn’t swell to an unmanageable size is because he runs a process to occasionally wipe out old messages from the live database — however, old messages are still saved in backups. I do not know how often he runs this processed, but I would expect he gives it a pretty wide clearance, as once those messages are out of the live database they can’t be quoted or referenced for deletion/edit auditing features. So what, 60, 90 days? I’m not sure. In any event, even when the live database is trimmed for performance, your data is never really gone, and is conceivably retrievable by him from backups.

A 30, 60 or 90 day allowance is plenty of time for him to readily go back and read messages from people he’s taken issue with, though. I’m not sure I’d be comfortable with anyone reading a rolling 30 day history of my text messages to the people I care about, with access to more if they were really curious.

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Also, just to get this out of the way, because people keep declaring I’m full of shit, yes, I did work on the bot:

https://discordapp.com/channels/265561352683126786/265586371178135562/618034546503581698 (although I’m sure he’ll delete it.)

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Update: In light of my tweets, a new version of Ser Aymeric has recently been released advertising itself as “secure” because it encrypts these messages. This is literally impossible to do from a cryptography standpoint, as I explain here. Message history and quoting is impossible to do with an encrypted database. Aymeric is no more secure from Lethys’ spying than it ever has been, and I’ve nothing to indicate that Lethys has spontaneously developed a moral compass.

[aveis-the-red]

Reblog if you think it’s okay to platonically say “I Love You” to your friends

[aveis-the-red]

Aveis echos that.

[aveis-the-red]

Two types of  Slow Burn

Type I

100k of pining, accidental hands touching, sex dreams that end with passionate smut in the last chapter.

Type II

They raw each other in the first part of chapter 1, then spend 100k in denial, misunderstanding, and self-doubt

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Love

I love him, so I let him go. They say that if you love someone to let them go. If they return, they were always meant to be yours. If they don’t, they were never yours. But in a similar vein...it is better to have loved and lost than not love at all.  I love him, and feared he would go for so long, but I saw that if -I- truly loved him, I would let him go.  He always said he would try, and that he did. He tried for me. He tried for Antony. He tried even when his temporary exile to the Steppe had left a ragged chasm in him that I could not bridge. He tried even when the lack of sleep triggered things I could not see--the specters of his past that always hung between us.  I blame myself. If I had loved him more, if I had opened myself to him sooner, if I had fought harder...I wouldn’t be alone again. He wouldn’t have built that wall between us. Or rather...I would have been equipped to conquer it, to tear it down brick by brick until I could reach him. I could have eased what was tearing at him. Helped him heal.  I let him go because I can’t give him what he needs. I let him go to free him of the worries of having a lover with a child he didn’t sire. I let him go so he can walk his path and find his own truth without my burdens weighing him down. Some people say that there is someone out there in the realm for you. That there is other fish in the sea. But they don’t ever mention that some people are born to be alone.  Either way, how can I worry about my needs and wants now that my son is born?  I have my family, and my shop, and a purpose.  I’m not sure I longer believe that love is meant for me...and I accept that. 

[aveis-the-red]

Joining in on that ship dynamics meme hehe

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LFRP - Vittont “Grey” Mofane - Mateus

THE BASICS ––– –

Age: Early 20′s

Birthday: 4th Sun of the Sixth Astral Moon (November 4)

Race: Elezen - Half Wildwood, Half Duskwight

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Almost anything goes

Marital Status: Single

Home World: Mateus (Crystal DC)

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE ––– –

Hair: Black shaggy mess that goes a bit past his collarbone.

Eyes: Right eye: red. Left eye: violet.

Height: 6 fulms, 10 ilm.

Build: Solid and lean; an athletic runner’s build with well defined arms and shoulders.

Distinguishing Marks: A horizontal scar runs under his left eye from nose to cheek. Another smaller scar runs perpendicular to his jaw below the larger one.

Common Accessories: The single aetheryte earring he wears really stands out, as it seems to be the nicest thing on his person.

PERSONAL ––– –

Profession: Jack of all trades adventurer. It’s rumored there’s little he WON’T do and will accept more shady work...for the right amount of money. 

Hobbies: Earning money. Collecting money. Counting money. Being a gil-pincher. Figuring out new ways to save money. Figuring out how to be as absolutely as cheap as possible. Woodworking and lance making. 

Languages: Eorzean Common. You want him to speak something else? Pay him.

Residence: You honestly expect him to pay to live somewhere when you can camp in the wilderness for free?

Birthplace: Gridania

Religion: The Twelve

Patron Deity: Oscheon

Fears: His mother finally losing to her sickness.

RELATIONSHIPS ––– -

Spouse: None

Children: None

Parents: Mother, Father (deceased).

Siblings: None

Other Relatives: Estranged members on his mother’s side that he’s never met.

Pets: None

TRAITS ––– -

* Bold your character’s answer.

Extroverted / In Between / Introverted

Disorganized / In Between / Organized

Close Minded / In Between / Open Minded

Calm / In Between / Anxious

Disagreeable / In Between / Agreeable

Cautious / In Between / Reckless

Patient / In Between /  Impatient

Outspoken / In Between / Reserved

Leader / In Between / Follower

Empathetic / In Between / Apathetic

Optimistic / In Between / Pessimistic

Traditional / In Between / Modern

Hard-working / In Between / Lazy

Cultured / In Between / Uncultured

Loyal / In Between / Disloyal

Faithful / In Between / Unfaithful

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ––– –

Smoking Habit: On occasion. If he can manage it for free or on someone else’s tab. Drugs: No. They detract from his personal mission and not worth the cost. Alcohol: He will buy himself cheap rotgut on occasion. But will drink more if he can manage it for free or on someone else’s tab.

RP HOOKS ––– –

Grey the Adventurer: He wears a mask while working and only gives his name as Grey. While it’s rumored the Elezen will do almost anything for coin, he’s notorious for demanding pay for things like travel costs and will nickel and dime everything. He has and will continue to work across Eorzea, going wherever there is coin being offered. Need a bodyguard? Someone roughed up? 

Guildmates?: Vittont was a part of the Lancer’s and Carpenter’s Guild until a life changing event occurred and he left to become an adventurer. Did they train/work together? Were they rivals? Friends? 

Mama’s Boy: His beloved mother Epeone is dealing with an aether sickness that has the Conjurer’s Guild confounded. Are you a healer he can employ to try to save his mother? 

Choose Your Own: Got an idea? Run it by me. I’d love to hear what you’ve got!

CONTACT INFORMATION  ––– –

In Game: Vittont Mofane@Mateus Tumblr: aveis-the-red Discord: Usi#3331 OOC  ––– –

RP partners and chars need to be 18+, no exceptions.

I’m looking for plots and other hooks to get things going. Would love to get him some rivals, acquaintances, and so on and so forth!

Would prefer partners who are equally comfortable rping in Discord as well as in-game. In fact, slight preference for Discord would be better, as…

I work 12 hour shifts, so my in-game time isn’t frequent. If you like your partners to have a strong in-game presence I’m not a good match for you.

OOC conversation needs to happen to hash out any potential plots or to deal with things such as injuries, etc. No character death.

I like a variety of themes, including darker, more adult/mature ones.

[aveis-the-red]

Ah, there he was. That Grey bastard with the mask. He wouldn’t admit that it unnerved him, the way it was painted to match the Duskwight’s skin--or damn near close to it. In the dark, shadowed strip that made Pearl Lane it made the Elezen look utterly faceless, leaving him with nothing but two black spots for eyes.  The Lalafell grew agitated as he approached. Not only did this creepy whoreson take over a fortnight to complete his task, but now he sat on top of a stone rail like he was the cat that caught the canary. At least, that’s how he viewed it from the carefree body language displayed, since he couldn’t see his face. At any rate, having someone he hired be able to look down at him so casually made his temper burn.  “About time you came through,” the smaller man hissed, glaring up at the sitting lancer. “I said I needed it within a fortnight. You’re -late-.” “And I believe I told you, good fellow, that a fortnight would only be possible if you paid for aetheryte passage and chocobo rental. You refused, and so my travelling was done by foot.” As if bored the masked Elezen propped his chin into his head, turned towards the Lalafell that looked like he was about to grow two fulms by the heat of his anger alone. “If you wanted it within a fortnight you should have paid more.”  “Any other adventurer knows when you’re hired you pay for your own accommodations!” “I am not other adventurers. You’re wasting my time, and time is money. The other half of my pay, or I'm sure to find another merchant who would be interested in what I hold. Believe me, I’m -very- aware of what this artifact is worth.” His free hand unfurled towards the other in expectation, making his benefactor startle in surprise by the other’s flippant tone.  “Thal’s balls Grey! You're a right cock swallow, aren’t you?!”  Despite being furious, he knew he couldn’t leave without what he had paid the Elezen to retrieve. Sulking and scowling, the Lalafell merchant withdrew a coinpurse and handed it over. “Here. Now give it to me!” “Not so fast. I’ll hand it over after I count it.” “I counted it thrice! Every single gil is there!”

That exclamation was ignored as the coinpurse was untied. With methodical grace the coins within were plucked free and set upon the worn stone before him in even stacks. Only when the purse was emptied and the money accounted for did he reach into his frayed and worn jacket, pulling out something wrapped.  “As agreed, my dear benefactor.”  The merchant scrambled forward, jumping up to take it from the lancer. In a desperate rush he tore it free from its covering, giving it a brief look over before giving the Lane a look over and tucking it away.  “Remember Grey, I didn’t hire you and you don’t know anything about this.” “...oh?”   Coins returned to the purse and put away, the masked Elezen turned his focus back on the merchant, as if intrigued by his words. “Dear me, I don’t recall you paying for -silence-. Just for a retrieval.” The Lalafell went pale. “Are you for real?! Are you going to charge for -that- too?!” “Well, if I recall..you didn’t pay for travel or to forget about this silly affair. Just for me to go to Point A, get something...and meet you back here.” Now the smaller man was starting to sweat, looking positively clammy as he stared up at that gods-be-damned mask. The dark holes that were carved to allow him to see seemed to be staring right through him.  “Grey, be reasonable...!” “Why I am. Isn’t it reasonable to buy what you want. This -is- Ul’dah, yes, where coin is king? If coin can buy knowledge...it can buy silence too, mm?”  He was caught and he knew it. “Greedy bastard...”  Another coinpurse was offered to the lancer. Tossing it between his hands, the lancer appraised its weight and then gave it a look inside, considering it for a moment before giving the other man an indifferent wave. “This will do. Consider me silenced, dear benefactor.”  “I hope you rot in the seven hells, you bellend.” The Lalafell was sent off with laughter from the adventurer who stayed sitting, twirling the second coinpurse by its strings as the merchant disappeared from sight. 

[aveis-the-red]

Reblog if you're a roleplayer with social anxiety!

This could mean you struggle with interacting with other roleplayers in the community, or get anxiety over simple interactions with others.

[aveis-the-red]

reminder that this blog, while not politically focused, supports BLM. bootlickers and racists aren’t welcome here, and never will be.

[aveis-the-red]

Reblog this if you roleplay or are willing to roleplay on Discord

[aveis-the-red]

Antony Tide Walker

He came into the realm wailing. Though she had heard her infant nieces and nephews cry this time it was different. The sound belonged to her child. Her son. Though visceral and reptilian it boasted strength and anger, filling her bedroom so soundly that for a moment all was silent but the vocalizations that announced his arrival.  Antony had been impatient. It was early in the afternoon when her water broke, and he was there before midnight. Her labor had been arduous, quick but agonizingly slow--time blurred and seemed to be a concept that was lackadaisical or a bored deity’s whimsy.  Propped up on her bed on a throne of pillows when she wanted, Aveis had spent the bells riding out her contractions and stealing ten minute naps when her exhausted body demanded the rest. A part of her had been utterly terrified, but as her brothers and sisters came and surrounded her with their love and support she grew at ease.  Soka made it. Those bells were spent holding his hand, her nails digging into him from time to time. If there were any tensions between the Raen and her family known as Pack Aveis wasn’t aware. All she knew was that those she wanted were there. 

Tender hands wiped away sweat, and offered tea and water. Words and songs echoed around her--some in languages that while she did not understand she still garnered warmth and peace from. Funnily enough, the room was filled with Au Ra and Miqo’te--spare her midwife--and with them they brought their traditions and rituals that gave her peace rather than leave her feel isolated. Soka. Aya. Sana. Zareen. Tolemy.  If she wanted to get up they helped her, rumbling or purring as they stayed with her as she walked. If she felt the urge to get onto her hands and knees there were hands giving her support or strength as she howled through the contractions that cramped and burned. Though the pain wasn’t anything she had ever dealt with--and nearly being eviscerated by a dragonkin was up there on that list--the fact that she wasn’t alone made it easier to bear. Rather than remain laid up on her back Aveis listened to her body as she was encouraged to do so, something the Ishgardian never thought or expected would help.  As the sun set and night fell her contractions quickened, threatening to steal all the air in her lungs. Laying on her back hurt too much, and when the midwife told her to start pushing the only position that seemed right was upright and on her knees. Soka was at one side, her midwife in front of her, and the rest of her family was supporting her from her free sides. It seemed like she wasn’t the only one bearing down then, and just over a bell later he was there.  “By the Twelve Aveis I knew he was going to be big, but he’s one of the biggest ones I’ve helped bring into the realm yet!”  Cleaned and bundled, Aveis had her breath stolen from her again when the midwife laid her son in her arms for the first time. “He’s 10 ponze 1 onze, and 23 ilms in length. Hale and healthy. Congratulations!” To her he was beautiful, his tiny little face scrunched up with seeming displeasure at being taken from his warm haven. There in his features it was clear as day that Arden had sired the boy, down to the dark wisps of air on his crown--wisps that were already curling away, hinting at the waves he was blessed with.  All she could do was stare at the babe, her fingers trembling as she touched his little hand. That moment then the redhead understood exactly why women would endure and risk so much... ...and her disbelief for neglectful and unloving mothers grew.  “Hello Antony,” she whispered. 

[aveis-the-red]

“Let me take you to Ul’dah, ma. I’ve saved up a lot of money, and there, the more you have the better. I can buy you better healers, better medicine...we can get you better.”

She looked exhausted even though she hadn’t moved from her bed, but even then she gave her son a smile and reached for his cheek.

“Your father worked so hard for this house. He was so proud to buy it for his family. How can I leave it now?”

“He’s been dead for nearly 30 years.” Those words were rough and growled out even as he pressed into his mother’s touch. “The Conjurers aren’t trying hard enough here. They aren’t helping. I can teleport you there. I’ll shield you so it isn’t a strain. We can get out of this gods-be-damned place—“

“Enough,” she cut in sharply, turning the young man’s face so her eyes could bore onto his. “Enough of all this. You should be enjoying your life. Falling in love. Making memories. Not sit here and watch me wither. How many times have you patched your clothes? You should not be throwing it all away for me, Vittont—“

He shook his head rapidly.

“I don’t have anyone else but you. I can’t just sit by and watch you suffer.”

“You know it’s my aether, darling. Going to Ul’dah won’t save me.”

“You don’t know that!”

“I’ve done a lot of healing in my years. I do know it. You know I’m on borrowed time.”

He dropped his head then, moving onto his knees so he could press his face into her lap like he did as a boy.

“Don’t say things like that.”

“My final wish is to see you living happily, my son. I don’t want to die worried about you.”

“Then don’t die.”

“That’s beyond my control and you know it.”

He did know it. He knew it all too well.

His mother was dying and her treatments were only delaying the envitable.

[aveis-the-red]

The Red Dragon Stitchery will be reopening soon, as owner and seamstress Aveis Walker has reportedly given birth.  The Red Dragon Stitchery boasts high quality clothing derived from Ishgardian styles and techniques, located in Kugane to bring Eorzean design to the Far East!  This boutique services patrons from all walks of life, and durable and pleasing items can be made or purchased regardless of social status or coin purse size. From ready-to-buy shirts and trousers to hand-tailored gowns, the Red Dragon Stitchery can match all needs and wants.  The shop has a private dressing room and a luxurious lounge for those waiting to be fitted. Enjoy complimentary refreshments as you wait by the fire!  With over 20 years of experience under her belt, Aveis Walker has mastered working with various textiles, and is capable of sewing, weaving, knitting and  crocheting, making all items with precision, dedication, and the artistry demanded. With her shop in Kugane the Ishgardian native has also taken to studying Far Eastern textiles, eager to apply these techniques and designs to her future endeavors. 

[aveis-the-red]

New alt who dis? Slowly working on backstory. I think I’ve got a rough idea of who he is personality wise but...still gotta hash out backstory. Vittont “Grey” Mofane

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Aunt Aveis will happily make Khod’a all the dresses he desires!

Epiphany

((This has been brewing at the back of my mind for a bit but it took getting past some writer’s block to actually write it. 3 am drabble with no edits otherwise I would have never posted it so enjoy!))

It’d been a lazy day in the Dorel household, something that Sana had been thankful for. Pregnancy sickness had struck hard and had stubbornly lingered, making even simple tasks hard for her, let alone the prospect of taking care of the house and her sons. Meetings had been cancelled in favor of languishing at home and Eloise, Sana’s long time retainer turned nanny, had happily come over to help tend to the boys so Del and Brem didn’t have to stay home with her. She knew they would have at a moments notice, but there was some guilt that would have lingered at the back of Sana’s mind so she’d shooed them off. 

Keep reading

[aveis-the-red]

📔 - Khod'a

((I...ran into a major writers block on this one and then suddenly my muse decided they wanted to talk...at 2 am.)) Khod’a remains a source of confusion for me. I was a kid still when I had him. Twenty-one summers old is still a child, considering all that’s happened to me since. When Synd’to asked me to help him have a child, it seemed easy enough. I get knocked up, I carry the child and give birth. Playing wetnurse for them until Khod’a was weaned had been unexpected but even that hadn’t been particularly hard. Still being hurt and broken emotionally from losing Del back then, it’d been easy to not let myself get attached to Khod’a back then, or at least that’s what I told myself. 

For a long time, I lied to myself. Told myself that it didn’t bother me that Khod’a only knew me as his aunt and didn’t know I was his birth mother. It was easy enough to tell myself that it would, in the long run, be easier on Khod’a and less confusing for him. It was as if I could guilt myself into not acknowledging that part of me hated not being more of his life than I was. It got worse after I had Alvin and Mede. 

Being able to see Mede and be a part of his life and watch him grow up even if I wasn’t raising him made me realize just how much I hated having missed all those little milestones in Khod’a’s life. I wasn’t there when he started to babble, crawl, or even hear his first words. I didn’t get to see his first steps, be there for his first name day. I sent a damn present and stayed my distance because that was supposedly easier for him, despite the fact I went and go so drunk I couldn’t see straight and slept with the first person who’d take me because it gave me something to distract from the fact that I was hurt not being a part of my son’s life. 

All that time spent away from him and now I’m not sure what to do with him. He’s seven summers old and this little person that I’ve only spent time with on occasion so I could help him learn how to deal with the gifts my bloodline gave him. It’s only been a few moons since his fathers and I told him the truth and in truth I think it’s caused more confusion and stress for him than if we’d been honest from the beginning. It’s not that I don’t love him. I do. He’s my son. I love him unconditionally but I don’t know him. Not well, at least. I’m trying to get to know him but how do you make up for seven years of lost time?

He tries to understand. He’s so damn reasonable for his age, but I know there are things that are hard for him to grasp simply because he’s so young. And now, with his fathers gone without word, I know he’s hurting but he won’t talk to me about it and I haven’t the damndest clue on what to do. I don’t have the seven years of experience in raising him to know how to handle the broken heart of a son I’m just starting to get to know. 

I don’t pray often. Honestly, most of the time I would sooner curse the gods for the hells they’ve put me through but...for Khod’a’s sake, I pray that I’m the mother he needs and deserves.